Tag Archives: climate change

Intermountain Sustainability Summit March 24 &25

The Intermountain Sustainability Summit returns to Weber State University March 24th and 25th, 2016. The summit offers over a dozen sessions and in depth workshops addressing climate, water, recycling, clean energy and more. Join sustainability professionals, civic leaders, businesses, nonprofits, educators, students and community members to learn, network, and develop strategies for implementing sustainability across Utah and the Intermountain West.

The summit kicks off with a conference day, Thursday, March 24th. The keynote speaker will be Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor of GreenBiz Group Inc. Makower has been a leading voice on business, the environment and the bottom line for the past 25 years. In 2014 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Institute of Sustainability Professionals. He will be joined by over 40 speakers throughout the conference to inspire, inform, and show how businesses, policy makers, nonprofits, and community members are making a difference. SLCgreen’s Tyler Poulson will be presenting on strategies for engaging employees on climate change to encourage grassroots, participatory leadership within an organization. For additional speaker information, visit the webpage.

Workshops will be held on Friday, March 25th. Workshops include:

Community Zero Waste Road Map
LEED Green Associate Workshop
Smart Cycling

Looking to be involved and grow your business, nonprofit or idea? See the Sponsor, Exhibitor, or Poster page to be a part of the Summit. Register by March 15th for early bird pricing. Visit the Intermountain Sustainability Summit webpage for more information! We hope to see you there!

Solving Climate Change with Clean Energy: A Special Event on Thursday, February 4

Tackling climate change requires fresh perspectives, diverse collaborations and a profound transition to cleaner energy sources.

Join us on Thursday, February 4th to explore these themes and what they mean for Utah. We’ll be joined by two prominent local leaders, Sarah Wright and Matt Pacenza, who will share their insights on clean energy and climate solutions.

We’ll start the evening with a 60-minute screening of Episode 6 of the Emmy-award winning series Years of Living Dangerously. This will be followed by a 30-minute panel with our local experts. Episode 6 of the series focuses on methane leaks from natural gas operations, lobbying forces in America and home-grown renewable energy solutions.

RSVP to the Facebook event!

Watch the trailer:

Speaker Bios

Sarah Wright is the founder and Executive Director of Utah Clean Energy, a non-profit partnering to build the new clean energy economy in Utah for the past 15 years. She leads a team that collaborates with government, private sector and other community partners to stop energy waste while simultaneously building a smarter energy future.

Sarah is an intervener in regulatory proceedings and an expert witness in legislative hearings, testifying in support of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Sarah has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Bradley University and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Utah.

Matt Pacenza joined HEAL Utah five years ago and began serving as Executive Director in 2015. HEAL is a non-profit that promotes renewable energy and advocates for enhanced public health while opposing toxic harms to the environment.

Matt has managed HEAL’s policy agenda on nuclear waste, energy and clean air issues and now leads the organization’s staff, program and budgets. Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Policy from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from New York University. From the east coast, he now happily calls “Sugarhood” his home.

Local Students Encourage Water Conservation

At SLCgreen, we strive to inform residents about the actions they can take every day to reduce their impact on the environment and have a positive impact on our community.

And we absolutely love it when we get a little help!

As a project for their 7th grade ELP Utah Studies class, West High School students McKenzie Shaffer-Kay and Ella Beck have created a website that focuses on the facts of water conservation in Utah. The website also highlights the actions people can take at home to reduce their water use, save money and preserve this value resource.

Nice work, McKenzie and Ella!

Check out UtahWaterConservation.weebly.com.

Consider Creating an Emergency Air Quality Implementation Plan

Be prepared for poor air quality in Salt Lake City, create an Action Plan!

Breathe Utah has a great Emergency Air Quality Implementation Plan toolkit to help you create your own action plan for bad air days. Enacting a plan can help reduce the number of red air days and improve our community’s health. Utahns are known for emergency preparedness, so why not have an emergency air quality plan in place?

Know in advance when the air quality will be unhealthy;
Plan how to avoid or reduce driving on those days to lessen the health impacts of air pollution on our community;
- Take public transit, carpool, telecommute, trip-chain, walk or bike!
Test the plan in advance to work out any problems before the red or yellow air days are upon us;
Share with others that you have made this plan to inspire them to create their own; and,
Finally, act on your plan, because now you will have a plan in place and will know exactly what to do when the air quality deteriorates.

Thanks Breathe Utah! Visit their website for more details.

Climate Week: Steps to Eliminate Food Waste

Today is World Food Day. World Food Day is a day of action against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. Because when it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero.

Reducing food waste is an important component of climate action at home and worldwide.

Worldwide Food Waste Facts

Every year, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (222 million vs. 230 million tons)
The amount of food lost and wasted every year is equal to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crops (2.3 billion tons in 2009/10)
More facts

North American Food Waste Facts

In the USA, organic waste is the second highest component of landfills, which are the largest source of methane emissions
In the USA, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted, equaling more than 20 pounds of food per person per month
More facts

So what can you do? Here are the recommendations from the United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office of North America:

Think. Be a smart shopper and think about what you are buying and when it will be eaten. Wasting food is often a subconscious act – become aware of how much food you throw away. Plan meals and use shopping lists. Bring your leftovers home from restaurants in reusable containers.

Eat. Become a more mindful eater. Eyes bigger than your stomach? Request smaller portions and become a leftovers guru.

Save. Save your food, save your money and save the environment. Donate to food banks and become a conscious consumer.

Learn more at FoodDayUSA.org.

SLCgreen Director Vicki Bennett Appointed New Urban Sustainability Directors Network Co-Chair

The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) has announced their new Planning Committee co-chairs, Michael Armstrong from Portland, Oregon and Vicki Bennett from Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City Green is proud to have Vicki at the helm, serving as Sustainability Director for Salt Lake City and working closely with Mayor Ralph Becker.

USDN is a network of sustainability directors from cities and counties across the United States who collaborate on a variety of issues facing urban areas. USDN’s ultimate goal is to build and strengthen the connections between members in order to quickly access each other’s knowledge and expertise to achieve better, more effective outcomes at scale. The connections fostered by USDN have become increasingly important as cities both large and small lead the way in developing the next generation of sustainable communities.

The Planning Committee serves as USDN’s governing body, with responsibility to advance the strategic direction of the network. Members are fortunate to be supported by a managing director and staff who provide high-level leadership and day-to-day management. Each year, USDN leaders, members, and staff collaborate on a Strategic Plan to guide the network for the year. An external edition of the 2015 plan can be downloaded here.

USDN accomplishes its goal by focusing on three core objectives:

Offering members peer-to-peer Networking Opportunities
Creating solutions that scale through a funded Collaborative Innovation System
Expanding access and addressing specific issues through Regional Networks

Vicki Bennett (Salt Lake City) has worked as the Sustainability Director for Salt Lake City for 14 years, where she works with both city agencies and the public to create a more livable and sustainable community. Vicki has over 25 years of experience in government, industry and consulting with an emphasis in sustainability, climate, environmental management, and energy issues. She has been on the cutting edge of several national efforts, including the White House State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.

Vicki was a founding USDN member, joining the network in early 2009, and has “seen [the] organization grow and adapt as the field of sustainability has been developed.” In addition to her work on the Planning Committee, Vicki has led USDN’s Climate Change Preparedness User Group for several years, one of the network’s most popular groups, co-founded the Western Adaptation Alliance Regional Network, and serves on the USDN External Relations Committee.

Climate Week: Salt Lake Climate Leaders

During 2015, Salt Lake City launched its Salt Lake Climate Leaders program to engage municipal employees and develop their knowledge base and professional skills in order to create more effective climate change leaders.

The program engages employees who have expressed an interest in professional development and leadership skills related to sustainability. Participants attend interactive monthly meetings and build momentum for more effective and strategic action on climate change across all City departments.

The culmination of the first Salt Lake Climate Leaders program is Salt Lake Climate Week. You can learn more at SLCgreen.com or explore all Climate Week posts on the Green Blog.

Climate Week: Five Actions You Can Take Today!

Climate action starts with you! Here are five simple actions you can take today to begin reducing your climate impact.

1. Use Cold Water Detergent and Cold Water Setting for Clothes Washer

	Pounds of CO2 Reduced Annually: 1,270
	Annual Savings: $92

Heating water consumes a lot of energy – 90% of the total needed to wash your clothes – always use a cold-water setting and detergent.

2. Replace Your Furnace Filter and Manage Your Thermostat

	Pounds of CO2 Reduced Annually: 1,800
	Annual Savings: $124

Every degree F saves 3% on cooling / heating – set to 60 at night or unoccupied during winter and 78 in summer. Dirty furnace filters waste energy and should be changed every three months.

3. Properly Inflate Your Tires and Ride with Hive

	Pounds of CO2 Reduced Annually: 400 (tires only)
	Annual Savings: $95 (tires only)

Regularly check and inflate your tires to improve MPGs by 3% – more tips to save fuel at FuelEconomy.gov.
SLC residents, visit RideWithHive.com for details on the City’s discounted transit pass. Just $42 / month, a 50% discount, gets you unlimited rides on the bus, TRAX and S-Line.

4. Replace at Least Five Lights with LEDs

	Pounds of CO2 Reduced Annually: 500 (per five lights)
	Annual Savings: $40 (per five lights)

90% of the energy used lighting an incandescent bulb goes towards generating heat, not light. LED lighting is the cheapest lifecycle cost option – purchasing plus operating costs – and Rocky Mountain Power offers great incentives for homes and businesses.

5. Use Reusable Water Bottles and Mugs – Plus, Downsize Your Garbage Can

	Pounds of CO2 Reduced Annually: 580 (Reusable Drink Containers Only)
	Annual Savings: $150 (Reusable Drink Containers Only)

Manufacturing bottles, cans and other drink containers takes energy and creates emissions. Reduce your footprint and save cash by using reusables. SLC residents should Google SLCgreen for many more waste tips and additional ways to save, like downsizing your garbage can. Moving from a 90-gallon bin to a 40-gallon bin will save you $87 / year on your trash bill. There is also a 60-gallon option that will save you money.

ABC 4 News Features Salt Lake Climate Week

Yesterday, ABC 4 News stopped by Salt Lake City Green to get the scoop on Climate Week — what the City is doing to reduce its impact and what you can do to get started! It’s a fantastic story. Click on the video above to watch the story on Good4Utah.com.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – Salt Lake City officially kicked off its first ever Climate Week. The initiative is designed to increase awareness about the local realities of climate change, what the city is doing to prepare for the future and what residents can do to reduce their impact at home.

No matter your stance on climate change, it’s undeniable Utah is heating up.

Salt Lake City’s Sustainability Program Manager Tyler Poulson explained, “In Utah in recent decades temperatures have been increasing about twice the global average and its certainly something that’s not gone unnoticed in Salt Lake City.”

That’s why the city’s Sustainability Division created the group Salt Lake Climate Change Leaders.

“We’re having monthly workshops for about 26 employees from all departments so airport, fire, police, water and everything in between, and we’ve been learning about climate change, its impact locally and how to make a difference,” said Poulson.

Leaders in that group came up with Climate Week to share what they’ve learned with the community. They say there is five easy steps residents can take to reduce their carbon footprint by about 5,000 pounds of CO2 emissions a year, and even save some money about $500 a year.

One of the easiest steps you can take to save yourself about $100 a year and about a 1,000 pounds in CO2 emissions is to wash your clothes in cold water. Poulson said, “About 90% of the energy and emissions associated with washing your clothes is associated with heating the water.”

Some other actions Poulson suggests, “Keeping your tires fully inflated, or if you’re a Salt Lake City resident checking out the Hive pass for public transit. Some other actions include changing out your lightbulbs to LEDs, they’re really energy efficient and starting to look great, and then also downsizing your trash can and using renewables.”

Salt Lake City is practicing what it preaches. In 2008 the Mayor and City Council committed to reducing its municipal footprint 20% below the 2005 level by 2020, and 80% below that by 2050.

To read more on the city’s efforts to date log on to: slcgov.com/slcgreen/climateaction.
To learn more about climate week log on to: slcgov.com/slcgreen/climateweek.

Climate Week: Understanding the Local Impacts of Climate Change

Dr. Robert Davies with the Utah Climate Center discusses the science of global climate change in his compelling 30 minute presentation, “Earth’s Changing Climate”. The presentation focuses on the physical phenomenon, our understanding based on observation and measurement. Here are a few highlights:

While Earth’s climate does change naturally, the changes we’re seeing today are unique in Earth’s climate history. The Earth is warming and not as part of a natural cycle. Why?

Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide are increasing in the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels at an ever accelerating rate. As a result, energy is trapped, raising the Earth’s temperature.

Specifically in Utah, temperatures have been rising at about twice the global average over the past 40 years.

The rise in temperatures significantly impacts natural systems, which directly affect human systems. What lies ahead? Catastrophic climate disruption is probable.

The answer, however, is yet to be determined and lies in the choices we make.

Watch the full presentation here. If you want to skip ahead to Utah-specific information, start watching at 14 minutes 30 seconds.